UK weather: Snow to hit Britain next week as Met Office warns of cold snap

24 February 2023, 14:04 | Updated: 24 February 2023, 14:10

A snow blast could hit the UK next week. Picture: Alamy

By Naomi Bartram

The Met Office has warned there is a chance of "severe cold weather" in the coming days.

The weather is set to get very cold over the next few days, with temperatures plummeting to 0C.

A spokesperson for the Met Office has now warned that areas in the South East in particular could be hit by sleet or snow.

Their long-range forecast reads: "Brisk winds expected in southern areas, with the risk of a few wintry showers. Northern areas will see more mild conditions."

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According to WXCharts, a storm could kick off a 24-hour ‘snow blitz’ in the North Sea until Monday 6th March, with up to six inches forecast to fall up and down the country.

Snow is heading for the hills of Scotland. Picture: Alamy

This would then be followed by 18 hours of continuous snowfall, similar to the Beast from the East that arrived in 2018.

Despite the weather charts, Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge has confirmed these conditions are not expected to hit within the next seven days.

He told the Manchester Evening News: “Within our current forecasting window there is no prospect for a Beast from the East type weather set up.

“Conditions will turn cooler toward the end of the week and into the early part of next week, but these conditions are fuelled by home-grown cooler conditions and in fact the weather over the next week will be nothing unusual for the time of year: typical winter weather."

Expect snow in some areas of the UK. Picture: Alamy

He added: “With recent weather features over the Arctic and around the pole there could be a longer-term prospect of colder conditions affecting the UK at the end of February and into March.

“This is by no means certain however. We are signalling the chance for colder conditions to occur after the next week, but at this lead time we cannot have sufficient confidence to state the chances of the event occurring or likely impacts any more definitively.”

As for the next few days, there will be high pressure meaning plenty of dry weather to come.

The forecast states: “Often settled, if cloudy, with a few mainly light showers.

“Temperatures near normal away from southern areas where often rather cold. Night frosts for sheltered western and northern areas.”